THESE PEOPLE ARE EXTORTIONISTS!!
My friends and I paid to park here to get out after floating down the King's River. After being on the water for 3-4 hours we were immediately greeted by men yelling at us. The man told us that if we wanted to get out of the water we needed to have a wristband of pay $5 per person. We tried to tell him how we had paid for parking in the front office and never received wristbands, but he argued with us to try and get us to pay more money.
Eventually he told us that if we wanted to get out of the water, we needed to swim UPSTREAM and get out on the other side of the bridge. Are you kidding me? So we go upstream a little bit and get out on a storm drain and start walking to our car. Again, the man comes over and starts yelling about how we can't get out there and it's private property. We tell him that the storm drain belongs to the city and we can walk on it if we please. He GETS IN OUR FACES and continues to yell, at which point I tell him to call the cops if he had a problem. He left after that.
I seriously don't know where to begin discussing my experience @ Kelly's Beach. I have VERY mixed feelings about this place.
I guess I'll start with the positives:
I love the fact the site is right on the water... it was beautiful! I also love that they offer a bus ride up to a drop off spot and you float right back to your campsite. The site we were placed in was at the very south side of the campground, and it couldn't have been a better spot for us. We had a huge tree, grass, a fire-pit, two picnic tables, and a water spigot right there. Plus we weren't jammed in amongst the other campers, we got plenty of space. Lucky for us! And our camping neighbors happened to be the nicest, most down to earth people we met in the entire place!!
The negatives, and oh my they are a plenty:
I would gladly pay more per night to tent camp here, if they would remodel the bathrooms. They are run down, and disgusting! First there are only three bathroom stalls and three shower stalls. The toilets were on the outs and had duck tape and towels wrapped around them to prevent leaking and/or breaking, I'm not sure. None of the three stalls could be locked, and half the time they were out of toilet paper. You definitely need to bring your own TP, soap and a hand towel inside with you. As for the showers, Friday night only two of the stalls had curtains, and by Saturday night, there were none, which I'm sure had something to do with the drunk girls rinsing off the grime after the float down the river. The floor is constantly wet, and there is a real plumbing problem with the toilets and the showers. Don't expect a hot shower either... there is not enough hot water to go around for the campsite, which sucked! The water in the shower was colder than the river water temp! Also, in the early evening Saturday they had no power to the restrooms, so you had to do your business my flashlight until they finally turned the switch. :(
Also, the website claims "No excessive noise after 11 p.m" and "Lights out in park by midnight, except when setting camp." -- Those two rules are NOT enforced in the least! Saturday night people were up playing music, singing, talking, and just plain being obnoxious until nearly 5am. It made for a really shitty slumber, and a rough ride home on Sunday. I don't mind people having fun, but that was an insane amount of noise until the sun came up.
In addition they cut the water supply to the campsites sometime Saturday evening around dinner time, and they still weren't up and running when it was time to clean up and head out.
I really wish they would make some changes, because I would really like to make this an annual trip, and Kelly's is so convenient in many ways. But the excessive noise made it difficult to get any sleep, and I felt dirtier once I left the bathrooms than I did before I even went in. Kelly's has such great potential, I just really believe they need to consider how they can make it a better experience for the campers/floaters, even if that means hiking the price up a bit to do some repairs, as well as enforcing the quiet rules at the same time!!!!
The only reason we had a good time is because we made the best of it. To start the weekend, the reservation people f... up the bus tickets on us. Mike did not read the departure times right so we the paying customers had to site and wait because he fucked up. The bus had to be jumped started that looks great infront of a paying customer. And Mike if you are going to walk around and Bitch at people about little things, pick up the dog shit your dog is leaving around infront of peoples tents. I could go on, but last when you look t the facebook page it is reaching out for people to say good things about this place. The only good thing was is we met some great people next to us and had a great day floating the river with them.
I am giving it one start because that is the only way I can post something
Man, this place really took a turn for the worst the last couple of years. My family and I have been coming here for more than 10 years now and this past weekend was definitely the last time we ever visit this poorly ran campsite. Their reservation system is so unorganized and could be ran better by 5 year olds! They always lose reservations and payments causing complete confusion upon arrival. This is the last thing I want to deal with when I arrive to my vacation destination.
Every year my family has brought this place thousands of dollars worth of business and we have never caused any problems whatsoever. When we arrived this past weekend for our yearly stay, Cindy the owner, erroneously accused us of owing them money from the previous year. When we told her that she was wrong she starting yelling like a mad woman and accusing us of other things that were completely false. She then had the nerve to ban us from staying at Kelly's Beach! After the accusations, I went and got my laptop to show her proof that we made all of our payments from the previous year. She didn't even want to see the statements nor give us the benefit of the doubt. Being a business owner myself, I would never treat a good customer like this. Especially one that has brought so much business to me over the last ten years. Cindy also said that we left the campsite a complete mess and left in the middle of the night without telling anyone. Anyone that has been to Kings River knows that it is nearly impossible to make a 4 hour drive home after being on the water, in the sun and drinking all day long! Cindy is just an unprofessional, ungreatful and rude woman to deal with. Luckily, we found another campground about ten mins away called Royal Oaks Campground and it was really nice and clean.
Kelly's Beach is also becoming unsafe due to their onsite bar/pub. Last year when we were having dinner there, a few local guys picked a fight with one of my friends and sucker punched him in the mouth. Little did they know what was in store for them and two of the three got knocked out and taken away by the police. If you are looking for a safe, clean and camper friendly place to stay at in Reedley, DO NOT STAY AT KELLY'S BEACH!!!
Oh Kelly,Kelly, Kelly, what happened?  Have only gone to your place for drinks and dancing, and have always had a good time, but last week was in to try your "specials"  for dinner.  Oh man was i bummed.  I was told your specials were from 7-10.  Got there at 7:10, looked at your menu and ordered, or at least tried to.  Was informed by your nice waitress that you were out of the New York Steak, ok, so i ordered the ribs, but again she said you were out.  What gives Kelly? If you"re  going to advertise specials you should at least have a couple on hand.  Don't tell me that you had a rush of people come in and eat them all before 7:10!  Hate to say this, but the dinner I had was barely mediocre.  Way too much cheese on the WHITE bread.  Prime Rib was not medium but rare. Chile beans tasted like Dennison.  Even the baked potato had an odd taste, really how can you go wrong with a potato?  AND I KNOW  that salad came out of a bag.  Can you at least get the bag with the better lettuce?  The iceberg and carrot mix doesn't cut it in a restaurant. Will just stick to the drinking and dancing.
Review Source:Love Love this Place!!!! Â Made a reservation to "float the river". Â The owner is an awesome dude!! Really knows the area and has had the place almost 40 years! Bar gets crowded and they work hard to get you what you need...Had the best time floating the river then hanging at Kelly's. Great time..worth the money :)
Review Source:My family has been camping at Kelly's Beach since before I was born, though we haven't been for quite sometime now that my sister's have babies (infants and rivers don't really seem like a good idea). Â Some of my best vacation memories are from this place! Â It's NOT a super swanky campground and from what I remember, the bathrooms are pretty freakin' nasty but it's family tradition and we love it. Â
When I was younger, we never camped there for the 4th of July as my parent's learned early on that the other campers are loud, drunk and rowdy into the small hours of the night. Â Our ideal time to go was the week after the 4th and it was usually pretty quite.
The owner, Mike Kelly, is a good guy. Â He seems a bit rough and tough on the outside but he's always been super nice and more than willing to help us out when we needed it. Â
I can see that most of these reviews are for the bar and restaurant; Â I can't really confirm or deny. Â Since we were camping, we usually brought our own food and drinks. Â On a rare occasion my sisters would go up and get some nachos and they never complained about those (but really, how can you mess up nachos?!). Â
Now that I live in the UK, it'll probably be an even rarer occasion to go camping there again in the near future. Â Until then, I hope some other people can enjoy it and make some awesome memories like I did!
I have been camping and floating at Kellys since 1998. I freaking love it here. It can get a bit loud and obnoxious and I love it! We tent camp every year around the 4th of july. Yes the bathrooms get overwhelmed but they try. People can be slobs. The camp ground is all grass right on the river. Mike Kelly, the owner can seem grumpy, but he's actually really helpful. His wife and partner in crime Cindy is super cool! This place dosent really have a "quiet hour" and the party can last into the early morning hours. On a holiday weekend I would not recommend bringing the kids. It can get a bit wild! That's what I love. The bar is fun and the restaurant food is just ok. Overall experience is always awesome and our group grows every year! Keep it up Kellys beach! Just keep up on the bathroom and I have no complaints.
Review Source:No one should ever go to Kelly's Beach for the food. Or the Mixed Drinks. Or the Beer. As a former Reedley native (who got the heck out of town before I turned legal drinking age), I thought it would be fun to go out with my friends one night after I came home for a visit. That was a mistake. The  drinks were BAD. REALLY BAD.
My second visit was for a party and it was worse than the first visit. I was served a nearly room temperature Guinness! And what's worse is it cost me $5! FOR THE DRAFT! Now don't get me wrong, if I go to an Irish pub in San Fran and order a Guinness from a real Irishman, I'll pay $5 for a cup of beer. However, none of these exceptions apply to Kelly's Beach.
I ordered "nachos" and they didn't even use nacho cheese. It was grated cheese sprinkled over stale chips and stuck in the microwave... and then it sat at the "kitchen" for a  while before the waitress finally got around to bringing it to my table. Eww Eww Eww. Really guys? You can't spring for a $5 jumbo can of nacho cheese at Smart and Final?
My review is for the bar/restaurant.
What can I say about this place without being too rude..? Lets see... I have been here twice, and I only needed visiting once to know and feel that I didn't fit in, and that the kind of people that hang out here will make you feel it if you cant get the hint on your own. Good thing my friends are why I was there, because I would never actually enjoy going there on my own or with a date. If you are a regular or a Reedley local, I'm sure its cool for you because you are more likely to fit in or know some of the people either working or drinking there. But if you're anyone else, expect some strange looks, because they will certainly know you aren't "one of them", especially if you look even slightly beyond the norm, especially the rural norm.
On both visits I had problems ordering drinks. I can tell mixed drinks aren't really their thing. One- because they don't make them well, and two- because they either cant or don't want to make what I order. But if you order beer or wine then you should be A-OK. As far as the food goes, its bar food. Not really a restaurant - at all. They cook with a microwave and a small oven slightly larger than a toaster oven. I'm sure at 2:AM when your drunk as a skunk, those microwaved nachos are pretty fucking bad-ass, though!
Nastiest place I've ever been. Â The restrooms were beyond rustic, they we're absolutely unhealthy. Â In addition, they allow the garbage cans to overfill and only seem to empty them once a day. Â Overall the place is disgusting. Â If' you're going down the river, do yourself a favor and stay at the hotel located right next door instead.
Do all campers smoke non-stop?
I have been to this camp ground twice now and I love it.
I am actually going back in a couple weeks!
I have never been inside the bar/restaurant simply because I am camping and do not want to deal with all that.
This is a super shady and depending on the time of year somewhat quiet camp ground. The best part is the campsites right on the river.
The bathrooms are not always in the greatest conditions, but again people its a camp ground not a five star hotel on the Vegas strip.
Its a great way to spend a weekend and met new people.
This is a family joint and is run by a super friendly husband/wife team. They do their best to make everyone happy. Â
I love the bus that drives you up river so you can drink and float right to your camp spot. The bus ride is around fifteen dollars. Some complain that is expensive, however a DUI cost around ten thousand dollars so way your options if you are drinking.
I suggest checking it out, if not for the campsite for the river floating!
1. The only good thing about this trip was being around friends.
Kelly's Beach campground was not what I expected. I should've known the first sign of trouble was trying to make reservations. Sometimes the phone would ring only to be greeted by an answering machine saying that it will not take any messages. Other times, if the timing was right, someone would answer. Only to be told that the person taking care of reservations is not available because they are in the bar, and to call back. When I called back, and if someone answered, I was greeted by the rude owner, or one of their rude employees. Sometimes only to be told again that anyone that can help me is in the bar. I called back again, and I finally got someone to help me. However, it was the bartender who made the reservations. Interesting. Since it's so hard to get a reservation here, I figured that this may actually be a great place to stay. I was wrong. The restrooms were filthy (i.e. dirty floors, broken shower heads, disgusting shoddy toilets, no paper towels) it was scary. They charge for everything, including to inflate your rafts, no friendly courtesy to their customers. The employees, and the owner, were still rude to the customers, and were usually found in the bar. Customer service is non-existent. Usually when I'm vacationing, I expect to be shelling out some money to have a good time, that's not a problem. However, I do expect a certain level of customer service. Terrible service is ALL you'll get from Kelly's Beach. I have already talked my friends into finding another campground next year. I also plan on spreading the word. I do not recommend Kelly's Beach, unless you want terrible customer service with filthy restrooms, and nasty drunks.
Find a better, cleaner, campground.
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